Brussels Airport by train or bus 12
Compare the train with bus 12, understand the airport supplement and choose a route that reaches the right part of Brussels.
Check the airport code first. This guide covers Brussels Airport, BRU, at Zaventem. Brussels South Charleroi is a different airport with different transfers. That small detail can change both your travel time and your budget.
For BRU, the train often suits an address near one of Brussels' main railway stations. Bus 12 can be useful for the European Quarter or a connection onto the city network. Compare the full journey to your room.
The train and its airport supplement
SNCB calls the extra airport rail charge the Brussels Airport Supplement, formerly the Diabolo fee. Its airport supplement guide explains that this is already included in most ordinary tickets to or from the airport.
Do not add the supplement twice. Read the ticket details, especially if you are using a rail pass, a special offer or a ticket bought through another operator. Some products require a separate supplement.
Search for Brussels Airport-Zaventem as your station, not simply Zaventem. Price the journey to the station that suits your accommodation. A fixed fare copied from an older guide may no longer be current.
Keep the ticket accessible until you have left the station. It can be needed at the airport's access gates as well as during a ticket inspection.
Bus 12 has different rules in each direction
STIB's airport-line page lists Airport2City at €7.90 by contactless payment or MOBIB, or €8.40 on paper, checked on 8 September 2026.
That special fare applies when leaving the airport for Brussels. In the other direction, an ordinary valid STIB ticket or pass can be used on bus 12. Check the conditions before assuming the return costs the same.
Airport2City also allows connections on the STIB network within the first hour after validation. Map the change and the final walk, rather than comparing only the airport part of the trip.
Before you set off
Check current departures after collecting your bags. Allow more room in your plan for a bus journey during busy traffic periods, and find the correct return stop before your last day.
For choosing a convenient base, see our Brussels accommodation guide. It compares the centre, Sablon and Saint-Gilles by the journeys you are likely to make.